The Best Content to Create for the Nature Tourism Audience Based On Their Reddit & Organic Search Behaviour

Purpose of Research

• Identify the primary inquiries posed by the Nature Tourism audience on Search and Reddit. 
• Pinpoint recurring themes within these questions to uncover content opportunities.
• Analyze top-performing Search & Reddit content to unveil key tactics to reach the Nature Tourism audience.

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Key Takeaways

People who reside in Costa Rica, Australia and the United Kingdom are the most interested in nature-fueled journeys. 

• Recommendations
  (i) Target people who live in Costa Rica, Australia and the UK for any paid advertising campaigns.
  (ii) Create content specifically catered to these regions and their interests.

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Search terms related to a specific location make up 79% of total searches.

• Recommendations
  (i) Compare BC to other popular locations around the world to entice people to visit who may have never heard about BC (i.e: this is not Switzerland, this is British Columbia).
  (ii) Highlight BC’s unique attractions such as whale watching and compare it to other locations around the world.

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13% of the discussion is focused on visiting novel "hidden gem" destinations

• Recommendations
  (i) Showcase locations where famous movies or shows were filmed around British Columbia such as the Twilight series.
  (ii) Create a list of BC destinations that are off the beaten track and are considered hidden gems.
  

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Curious wanderers are often technical camera lovers who want to be visually inspired when adding a new location to their bucket list. 

• Recommendations
  (i) Create a photo contest with themes such as “Fall in British Columbia” to generate fresh content and incentivize domestic photographers who may not be exploring their country.
  (ii) Use a photo reel to showcase the beauty of the road trip or hike. Share epic nature shots with a car window frame or amazing nature alongside a road. 
  

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The journey is just as important as the destination. Curious wanderers love to see the details of road trips and scenic trails.

• Recommendations
  (i) Share facts about the destination such as the age of old-growth forests in BC alongside trip itineraries.
  (ii) Create map-adjacent content that references road trip routes. Offer different driving times, scenery and pit stops along the journey.
  (iii) Share unique modes of transportation available in BC such as the train or ferry

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Search volume for nature journeys was the highest during December to August. 

September, October and November sees the lowest search volume.  

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Warmer weather = increased interest. Focus on reaching customers during these peak months.

Interest in "wildlife tour" has been increasing, peaking between May to July 2023. 

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Launch content during the Christmas Holidays: curious wanderers are doing their vacation planning during this time.

Interest in "holiday destinations" has been on the rise since December 25, 2022, with a notable QoQ increase of +44% in Q1 2023.

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Focus on promoting whale watching content in the late Winter and Spring as people plan their trips for the summer. 

Interest in "whale watching" is +16% higher during the warmer months of April to August than the colder months of September to March.

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Target people in Costa Rica, Australia and the United Kingdom who are actively looking for nature-fueled adventures.

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Top searches related to nature journeys fall into the following categories:

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Location Specific

Craft content that sets BC apart from popular destinations like Boston for whale watching tours. For those who do not know much about BC, share landscape shots that may look like other popular destinations, like this video. 

Content Ideas

• ‍Why Choose BC: Craft content comparing BC's nature experiences like whale watching and hiking to similar regions. Highlight BC's unique attractions and appeal, presenting it as the ultimate choice for curious wanderers.
• ‍Create Video Comparisons: Compile scenic shots of BC and overlay captions that say “this is not Switzerland, this is British Columbia” to highlight the large array of landscapes in BC. 

Key Tactics

• The key phrase “must-see” in the title.
• Ability for the viewer to compare by location or company.
• Include timely information like "whale watching season" or "best time for tours".

Top Search Queries

• ‍“whale watching in boston”
• ‍“eco tour near me”
• ‍“holiday destinations near me”
• “natural wonders usa”‍
• “nature tours near me”
• ‍“rainforest tour puerto rico”

Organic Content Examples

*Traffic share based on the worldwide traffic from August 2022 - July 2023 from the keywords “whale watching in boston” and “natural wonders usa”.

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Trip Planning

Guide an audience to British Columbia by comparing BC to other similar landscapes globally. Outline activities, must-visit places, and packing essentials.

Content Ideas

• ‍Describe the Differences: Educate your audience on the differences between rainforests in the PNW vs. rainforests in other regions. 
• ‍Create a Bucket List: Create content that showcases the “must visit” places around the world but put a large blend of destinations in British Columbia in the mix.
• ‍Showcase BC’s Topography: Create content that showcases all the different types of landscapes available to visit in British Columbia and differentiate it from other popular destinations (3).

Key Tactics

• The key phrase “bucket list” in the title.
• Use maps to showcase where different natural landscapes are located.
• ‍City and country details are shared with a brief description.

Top Search Queries

• ‍“eco tour adventures”
• ‍“best holiday destinations”
• ‍“natural wonders of the world”
• “nature places to visit”
• “where rainforest are located”
• “what to wear whale watching”

Organic Content Examples

*Traffic share based on the worldwide traffic from August 2022 - July 2023 from the keywords “where rainforest are located” and “best holiday destinations”.

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Season Specific

Create content that targets people who are looking for vacations during a specific time. List out all the activities available to do during a certain season. 

Content Ideas

• ‍Summarized Research: This article (6) introduces each location by the temperature, season, flight time, and time difference from the UK.
• ‍Places to Stay: Brief descriptions of 2-4 recommended places to stay in the specific location.
• ‍Sustainable Travel: Give options for customers to choose from sustainable flying or accommodation options. 
• ‍Winter vs. Summer: Detailed descriptions of what it’s like to experience various locations in British Columbia during different seasons. 

Key Tactics

• The key phrase “best” in the title.
• Showcases the temperature by location.
• Describes the seasonal differences when doing activities such as whale watching.

Top Search Queries

• ‍“holiday destinations for christmas”
• ‍“whale watching season”
• “holiday destinations december”
• “whale watching best time of year”

Organic Content Examples

*Traffic share based on the worldwide traffic from August 2022 - July 2023 from the keywords “holiday destinations december” and “whale watching season”.

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Tour Package Comparisons

Create content that compares tour packages from destinations around the world with similar tours available in British Columbia.

Content Ideas

• ‍Compare Similar Tours: Provide a list of all the tours available in a destination like this website. Generate traffic to BC tour packages by creating blog posts that compare BC tour packages to other similar tour packages around the world. 
• ‍Important Info: Showcase the tour length, price, age range, physical rating, language, and travel style like this website.
• ‍Tour Vlogs: Create vlog-style content that brings a viewer along for the entire tour to show a traveller exactly what they’re signing up for.

Key Tactics

• Categorize tour packages by most popular destinations.
• Ability for viewer to filter by date, place, and price.
• ‍Bullet point details of the tour package are displayed succinctly. 

Top Search Queries

• ‍“rainforest tours”
• ‍“whale watching tours”
• ‍“wildlife tours”‍

Organic Content Examples

*Traffic share based on the worldwide traffic from August 2022 - July 2023 from the keywords “rainforest tours” and “wildlife tours”.

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Vacation Activities

Provide a list of things to do while on nature filled vacations and create fun games such as a scavenger hunt for tourists visiting British Columbia. 

Content Ideas

• ‍Printable Activities: Create printable activities that tourists can take on nature-filled vacations such as a British Columbia scavenger hunt, identifying trees in BC, or a BC road trip checklist.
• ‍Make it General: Attract a bigger audience by creating more general tourism activity content, like providing ideas for activities to stay off your phone while on vacation.
• ‍Create a Challenge: Create a competition that encourages people to visit or learn about different places in British Columbia, like a photo scavenger hunt.

Key Tactics

• Creating activities that are printable PDFs.
• ‍Capturing emails by providing PDF downloads.
• Creating and sharing Pinterest content.

Top Search Queries

• ‍“nature walk scavenger hunt”
• ‍“nature walk activity”

Organic Content Examples

*Traffic share based on the worldwide traffic from August 2022 - July 2023 from the keywords “nature walk scavenger hunt” and “nature walk activity”.

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Top subreddit communities based on membership size:

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Among the most popular Reddit threads, users are engaging in the following types of discussions:

*Based on the top engaged posts from /r/earthporn, /r/hiking/, /r/natureporn, /r/roadtrip, /r/travel, /r/travelnopics, /r/travelporn, /r/whalewatching from July 2022 to July 2023. 

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Curious wanderers are often technical camera lovers, who get visually inspired on new places to visit.

Create a Theme

Most popular posts have been grouped into image themes surrounding sunrises and sunsets as well as specific seasons (i.e. fall, spring, winter).

Include the Nitty-Gritty Details

Curious wanderers are interested in the type of camera used to take the photo, dimensions and location of where the photo was taken.

Create a photo contest with themes such as “Fall in British Columbia” to incentivize domestic photographers who may not be exploring their country. Prizes could be winning a trip to photograph an iconic landmark by helicopter tour.

Create the ultimate guide of things you need to know about booking campsites and hiking in BC.

Showcase the Seasons

Hiking Photos

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Curious wanderers seek out novel, hidden gem destinations and provide feedback on their travel experiences to the travel community.

Showcase Natural Wonders

Post about unique natural formations or landmarks located in British Columbia, like the sandstone formations (10) on Vancouver Island. 

Famous Movie Locations

Showcase locations where famous movies or shows were filmed around British Columbia such as this Twilight series (11).

Share Fun Facts

Share facts about the destination such as the age of old- growth forests in BC alongside trip itineraries (12).

Share trip itineraries alongside photo reel or video posts that showcase unique natural attractions, scenic movie filming locations, or any other hidden gems on and off the beaten track. 

Unique Formations

Movie Filming Locations

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Curious Wanderers seek to have a soul-enriching experiences where they can delve into a new culture alongside exploring beautiful landscapes.

Showcase Diversity

‍To target a nature-focused audience, create a slideshow that showcases art from First Nation communities (13) around British Columbia. Top posts showcase a slideshow of the diverse architecture and historic landmarks of a specific location. 

History Lesson

Share historic locations (14) where nature meets history such as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in BC. 

Curate educational slideshow posts that showcase the historic facts, cultural locations, and diverse species in British Columbia. 

Users become motivated to take actionable steps towards their upcoming adventures from posts that showcase history & culture.

Taiwan Photo Slideshow

Iran Photo Slideshow

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Curious wanderers share their luxurious experiences and are particularly invested in understanding the cost of accommodations and whether the experience was worth the hype.

Share Unique Modes of Transportation

Leverage the unique types of transportation and lodging available in British Columbia such as the train or ferry by creating content that spreads awareness about underrated travel methods within the province or hard to reach but worth destinations.

Focus on the Views

Post photos that feature an epic nature view from inside an accommodation. 

Create compilations that showcase the modes of transportation and accommodations that showcase epic nature views from each part of the journey.

Scenic Train Rides

Nature Filled Accommodations

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The journey is just as important as the destination. Curious wanderers love to see the details of road trips and scenic trails. Plan routes for them so they don't have to.

Trip Itinerary

Popular posts always contain questions asking about the trip itinerary. Get ahead of the curve by providing the itinerary in the description.

Scenic Drives & Trails

Use a photo reel with route descriptions in the captions to showcase the beauty of the road trip or hike. Share epic nature shots with a car window frame or amazing nature alongside a road.

Create map-adjacent content that references road trip routes recommended. Offer different driving times, scenery and pit stops along the journey. Play around with different photo formats such as a photo collage. 

Trip Recap

Scenic Highways

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*A value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. A value of 50 means that the term is half as popular. A score of 0 means there was not enough data for this term. 

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References:

1.Boston Whale Watching Season and Best Tours

2.25 Must-See Natural Wonders in the United States

3.Deserts in Canada? A look at some of the country’s most desert-like landscapes

4.Where Are Rainforests Located?

5.Bucket List Travel: The Top 50 Places In The World

6.The best holiday destinations in December

7.The Best Time for Whale Watching in California.

8.Outdoor Nature Scavenger Hunt Printables + Ideas for Kids

9.Learning with nature: A printable summer bucket list!

10.Nanaimo Sandstone

11.'Twilight' Filming Locations Include A Magical BC Hiking Trail You Can Visit

12.Road Trip Through Old Growth Forests

13.How to experience First Nations arts and culture in British Columbia

14.Find a Historic Place